love + love x 32 years = love again

I don’t even know where to start, but …  I. Fell. In. Love. Twice.  I know I’m about to go out of order here, but when have I ever been one to do what’s expected?  Ever? _______________________________________________________ The 2nd Falling (aka The Epiphany)  Early afternoon Saturday, May 19 The Music Loft Carrboro, NC with Finney I spy with my little eye … a set of used conga drums. Black and shiny. Drawn like a raven to bling that glints and sparkles, I circle. I thump. Go through the want v. need discussion in my head. Circle some more. Tap. Sigh. Covet. Mine. The price tag dangles provocatively. Cost includes the stand and travel bags, which is a good thing ’cause I’m surely going to need those when I go on the road with Santana.  That thought makes me laugh at myself out loud. The musician behind the counter and Finney, who is deep in bass accessories, turn to look at me. Suddenly it hits me. All this time … the boomerang drummer mojo was pointing me toward PLAYING drums, not playing WITH drummers. Instruments of mass percussion have been hollering at me my entire life and I wasn’t listening. No. They didn’t come live with me yet, and I’m fighting the urge. Yay’s or nay’s? ________________________________________________________ The 1st Falling (aka what really could be considered The 2nd Falling if you want to get technical about these things) Late evening Tuesday, April 2 What goes around … comes right back ‘atcha.  Back in February, right around V Day, I got up on my lovelorn high horse and rode around a bit.  It feels funny quoting me, but if you can’t quote yourself, then who? “From the view from my heart, I’ve been lucky in love.  Lucky enough to have fallen world-spinning, vision-blinding, crazy-making in love three (okay, five, maybe six) times in my life.  You could say it’s unlucky that I’m not with any of them, but that would diminish the original statement.  Lucky that I’m still good friends with almost all of them … those that are still alive with a sense of humor and forgiveness anyway. A couple who left a sweet space in my heart just went permanently missing. The bass player with the crooked smile and the long blonde hair. The cowboy D.J with a heart of gold and a voice to melt … well … anything, including me.  The one from art school that broke my heart in a gazillion pieces. He’ll surface one day. I just feel it. ” Exactly 50 days later. My bestie in Richmond calls. “Guess who I’ve just spent 2 hours with?”  Never a big fan of guessing games, I made some attempts knowing that she’d never be able to out-wait my wrong answers before the name of the “one from art school” rolled off her tongue. “And he’s looking for you.” My heart did some crazy acrobatics and my brain turned to puffed rice. The three of us were roommates together way back in the early 70’s when I was studying painting at VCU.  One of us (he and I can’t remember who, but it was probably me) picked the other up in a bar. After all, he was exactly my long-dark-hair-mustachio’d type.  A bad boy bass player (yep, I’m recognizing a type here).  He just never went home after that first night; that’s how he became a roommate.  We pulled my twin bed mattress underneath the bay window so we could see the stars and lay there every night talking ’til dawn about everything under the sun, moon, and stars while listening to 8-tracks  (Peaceful Easy Feeling,  South City Midnight Lady, Can’t You See,  Dream On, etc.) and an old Roberts reel-to-reel.  He was my first reckless love and he was trouble plenty. The last time I saw him was in Nashville 1980 when I watched him ride off back to Macon on his big blue Harley. That’s not all that long ago, right? Armed with a phone number, a glass of Vinho Verde, and a healthy sprinkling of cautious curiosity, I dialed.  Two hours later and something I didn’t see coming was going on.  Or fixin’ to.  For the next ten days and ten nights we spent two or more hours every night on phones in separate beds under windows looking at stars talking about everything under the sun = crazy time. Then 170 miles, 38 songs on the IPOD, up I-85/I-95 into the arms of a man who years before at the age of 23 made the ultimate sacrifice for me.  Familiar, as if 32 years was really just last week, we held hands and jumped right over that edge one more time.  Me and Finney … all giggly and goofy like teenagers.  Go figure. On second thought, don’t.  Just let it be. _______________________________________________________

Click to listen to EG Kight singing “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”

The Blue Note Grill X 3 Last week was a 3 night Blue Note Grill week starting with EG Kight. Goodness gracious, can that lady sing and play guitar!  From the first note of “At Last” I got chills and had to hold back tears (some of which had to do with sitting there with this long-lost, newly revived love).   We had such a good time, I dragged him back on Friday and Saturday night. The BNG is my second living room.  Ok, ok, I know that it’s really Bill and Andrea’s living room, but they seem content to share it with the likes of me and all the other regulars.  I keep threatening to move into the Boom-Boom Room (their back room.)  Thank you both for letting us hang out and feed our musical souls and mouths!  By the way, that bacon-wrapped, deep-fried hot dog with chili and slaw is a wonderous thing. COMING UP AT BNG and you don’t want to miss this!

WillFest II

WILLFEST II, A Musical Celebration & Jam Sunday, June 3 3-8pm @ The Blue Note Grill in Durham Mike “Howlin’ Wind” Davis, harp player extraordinaire sent this open invitation: Will McFarlane’s big six-o birthday bash, jam and 2nd annual potluck dinner. Come early and bring your favorite dish. Free admission and specially priced birthday drink specials will be available.  Musicians please bring your instruments and come early to sign up. Music begins at 3pm. Equipment will be provided. Come rain or shine it will be fine. See y’all there!!! Peace and love, Howlin Wind *Will played with Bonnie Raitt and was a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. It’s free, like Mike said, but donations are encouraged to defray travel costs. _________________________________________________________ Shuffling through love in 3/4 time (flashbacks & flashforwards)  Click the links to open YouTube! Conversation (Atlanta Rhythm Section) Walkin’ to my Baby (The Fabulous Thunderbirds) Still Alive & Well (Johnny Winter) Moondance (Van Morrison) Can’t You See (Marshall Tucker Band)